Sustainability Meets Design

Set prominently on a hilltop in New Canaan, this property, originally a dairy-farm, has long been a cherished location. In this ambitious renovation our client sought to respect the values imbuing the pastoral setting by creating a world that, in its beauty and serenity, binds people to nature and the earth.

The 9,950 square-foot main house, a Colonial Revival, was totally renovated and significantly expanded. The front porch was extended to allow access from guest parking; a new screen porch added; and a rear addition built for the new kitchen, breakfast room, family room, pantry and master bedroom suite above. Many interior spaces were altered to create a more open main stair-hall with sitting area, guest bedrooms with baths, and third-floor spaces for exercise and painting. The trim system is both simple and elegant, in keeping with the existing structure. All building elements — insulation, windows, doors, etc. — focus on efficient, sustainable energy.

The site was also extensively renovated. Pesticides were scoured from the land, which now bears organic produce; the apple orchard has been restored; in every season a roof garden and greenhouse are rich with vegetables and herbs; all structures are fully insulated with ecologically sound materials; high-grade doors and double-paned windows create a tight envelope in all buildings; solar panels heat and cool the fresh-water pool; a natural filtration system replaces the need for any chemicals; geothermal wells provide air-conditioning and heating; eight wind turbines augment electrical usage; water cisterns collect rain water for irrigation; and an original barn, circa 1850, was meticulously dismantled and rebuilt from the inside out, creating a fully modernized structure graced by its original interiors, preserved intact.